1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cable strippers for use with cable anchors for use in post tensioning concrete structures, for stripping cable sheath from end portions of cables which are to be secured by the cable anchors. The present invention also relates to a method of stripping a sheath from an end portion of a cable.
2. Description of the Related Art
For use in post tensioning a concrete structure, it is known to insert an end of a cable, usually referred to as a "tendon", into a passage extending through a cable anchor, and then to secure the cable to the cable anchor, for example by means of wedges inserted into the passage into engagement with the cable.
Before the insertion of the wedges, it is necessary to strip the sheath from the end portion of the cable.
Various cable strippers have been previously proposed for stripping a sheath from a cable. Examples of such strippers are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,161,088; 2,385,368 and 2,695,537. For post tension cables the sheathing is currently being stripped by simply using a knife before inserting the cable through anchor.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,426,778, there is disclosed a device for stripping wires and cables which has a single point knife blade mounted on a lever arm on a tubular tool body having an axial passage for receiving the wire or cable. The knife blade is resiliently biased into cutting contact with the cable, and the tool can be rotated about the cable to cause the knife blade to cut the sheath around the cable.
It is, however, a disadvantage of this prior device that the lever arm must be actuated manually in order to withdraw the knife blade from the axial passage, to allow insertion of the cable through the tool body. Consequently, the position, along the length of the cable, at which the cut is made is variably determined by the manual actuation of the lever arm.